The Importance of Grandparents

In many places in Africa an entire generation has been wiped out by AIDS. In the village called Nyumbani 97 grandparents are being matched up with 938 youngsters, some times as many as a dozen children to one grandparent, to create families for these children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The good news is that there is no known limit to the lifespan of those with HIV now due to the help of anti-retroviral drugs or ARVs. None of the children in Nyumbani are terminal and put together with the grandparents the bookend generations take care of one and other. What a wonderful resource these grandparents are.

In the U.S. just Google grandparents raising grandchildren and you will find pages of statistics, articles, and resources about and for grandparents listed. The details may differ between the circumstances in Nyumbani and the U.S. but it seems to me grandparents here are also an important resource. I am a grandparent so I can vouch for my own willingness to be a resource and truthfully say that I derive great satisfaction from being able and allowed to be involved in my grandchildren’s lives. Then for the families that grandparent-less for any number of reasons, there are adoptable grandparents. Google Adopt a Grandparent for pages of information on just how to do that. These programs provide a mutual benefit for seniors and the families that “adopt” them.

I take a deep breath, smile, and release an exaggerated sigh…the importance of grandparents…..